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Illustrated 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 


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IHodern Fairyland 



BosLon Mass. 

TbfArcna Publishing Company, 

Copley Square. 







Copyrighted, 1896, 

By EBCY BURNHAM. 

All Rights Reserved. 


Arena Press. 


TO rnn “ iDEAi. uncee ” 

OF 

THE EONG AGO “THEN” 
AND 

THE EVER PRESENT “NOW,” 


R. C. B. 



•'. .■:rTL'4?‘sip«,. ■'y wj>*tips- ■• 

' '. it' ■ > - “i *^:-v 



CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I. 

The Infant Fairy ii 

CHAPTER H. 

The Christening 17 

CHAPTER III. 

Outcome of Fairy Grumble-growPs Threat 26 

CHAPTER IV. 

Affairs at the Castle 43 

CHAPTER V. 

News from the Absent Princess 50 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Princess Arrives 54 

CHAPTER VH. 

The Reception and the Banquet 66 

CHAPTER VHI. 

Transformations ! Puck Investigates 80 

7 


8 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER IX. 

The Princess and Sir Puck Take a Ride. The First 

Attempt to Modernize Fairyland 86 

CHAPTER X. 

The King and Princess Fernitta Come to an Under- 
standing gS 

CHAPTER XI. 

The Princess Makes New Laws 108 

CHAPTER XH. 

The Princess’ Duties and Difficulties 116 

CHAPTER XHI. 

The Princess Gets Lost 120 

CHAPTER XIV. 

An Old-Fashioned Ball 130 


PREFACE. 


W here is Fair^^land ? Where are the fairies ? 
“ On hill, in dale, forest, or mead. 

By paved fountain or by rushing brook. 
Or by the beached margent of the sea.” 
And yet we do not find the tiny people there ! 
are they nowadays ? 


V 


Where 









Dlid you ever see such iinpudencel 


p. 64 



MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


CHAPTER I. 


THE INFANT FAIRY. 


Could anytHng be cuter and more 
huggable than a wee baby fairy ? Who 
is there that has not longed to see a really, 
truly full-grown fairy ? And then to 
think of something smaller even than 
that — a baby fairy I Strange as it may 
seem, there was at one time such a 
wonderfully curious being. Hardly had 
this infant fairy opened her hazel eyes 
when a hundred court pygmies went to 
proclaim the news throughout Fairydom. 

“Hail to the little Princess ! ” cried the 
sturdy trumpeters. My ! how quickly 
the news spread ! The birds whispered 
the tidings to the flowers, and they in turn 

II 



12 


MO DERN FA I R YL A ND. 



rang out the sweet song as the soft winds 
blew the stamen-tongues back and forth 
in the bell-like flower-cups. 

The baby’s parents, none other than 
the King and Queen of Fairyland, were 
quite beside themselves with joy. Why, 
the King actually indulged in a dance 
which very much resembled a fisher’s 
hornpipe ! Imagine him holding his 
sceptre in one hand, his royal robe in the 
other, and dancing until his crown fell off 
and rolled like a hoop behind the throne ! 

The Queen became very anxious when 
the tiny mite remained out of her sight 
for a second. 

As for the baby, it can safely be said 
that she was one of the best babies in 
the world. The Queen thought her posi- 
tively THE best, as was natural and which 
is the case with every true mother. 

This baby was no different from others 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


13 


except for her size. Of course she was 
sweet and pretty, but she caused a great 
deal of work and worry. She had to be 
rocked in her oak-leaf cradle, given a 
morning sponge, and dressed every day in 
a newly spun spider’s web, wrapped in 
blankets stnffed with birds’ down, kissed, 
hugged, cuddled, and, in fact, spoiled 
after the manner of every only child. 

However, this tiny Princess had an 
exceptionally good disposition or she could 
not have stood all the attentions given to 
her. Little philosopher, she slept through 
it all and never even glanced at the group 
of admiring fairies around her cradle. 

They raved over the tiny feet, the arms, 
the hands, the mouth, and the pretty 
golden ringlets nestling in the soft neck. 
When she was asleep the fairies wept 
becanse they could not see her eyes, but 
the more they deplored this the sounder 





14 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


the baby Princess slept. Indeed, she 
breathed so londly at times that a series 
of tiny snores electrified every one present. 
This was certainly peculiar, consequently 
a note was made of the fact in the Court 
Record. 

It must here be explained that a baby 
fairy is expected, after ten days or so, to 
try its little wings and after the manner 
of birds to learn to fly and then to take 
care of itself. When the tenth day 
arrived with the baby Princess she slept 
sounder than ever before, showing no 
signs whatever of taking her first lesson 
in flying. A careful examination was 
made and it was found that the wings 
had barely started to grow. This was 
appallingly backward. Every one was 
troubled. 

The Princess was watched very careful- 
ly, but the eleventh day showed no change. 


MODERN FA IK YLAND. \ 5 

nor the twelfth day, nor the thirteenth, 
and so on until four months had passed. 

Then it was that a strange trait was 
discovered. The nurse at one time left 
the Princess alone (which of course was 
against orders), and when she returned — 
what do you suppose ? — her little High- 
ness was out of the cradle, crawling in 
an undignified way on her hands and 
knees. The nurse was amazed. 

She had never seen a creeping baby 
before. She drew near her charge, 
wondering what the strange child 
would do next. 

“ Perhaps her Highness is not feeling 
well,” said the nurse, puzzled to know 
what medicine to administer. 

But the Princess, on the contrary, 
looked remarkably well, and was creeping 
and laughing to herself and having the 
very best of times. 



i6 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 



“ Perhaps she is preparing for her first 
attempt to fly.” At this idea the nurse 
snmmoned the King and Queen, and in a 
few minutes the whole court stood around 
the creeping baby. 

After this a special place was given to 
the Princess to creep in at her pleasure. 
There she tumbled and rolled and sang 
to her heart’s content. When at last she 
was discovered standing alone, and then 
walking by having some support, the 
fairies felt somewhat encouraged about 
teaching her to fly. 

In spite of trying to keep it quiet it was 
soon known abroad that the Princess was 
very backward and different from other 
fairies, which fact troubled the Queen to 
such an extent that she grew frightfully 
thin and was forced to wear a high-necked 
dress. 


CHAPTER II. 

THE christening. 

In Fairyland it is the rule for a baby 
fairy to fly to its christening. In the case 
of the baby Princess the ceremony had to 
be postponed from time to time until the 
fairies quite despaired of her ever being 
able to conform to the law, and begged 
the King and Queen to have her carried^ 
thus settling the matter at once. 

“ The idea of a fairy without a name at 
the age of four months ! ” they said. 

The royal pair thought long and ear- 
nestly upon the subject and finally ac- 
cepted the suggestion, for how could the 
baby fly unless her wings were grown? 
Then again, if the law were enforced it 

2 17 


1 8 MODERN FAIR VLAND. 

looked as if tke Princess could never be 
christened. 

It was decided that the law be repealed 
and the Princess carried to the services. 

Invitations were hastily given out and 
preparations were made on the most elab- 
orate scale. During the hubbub and 
excitement that attends such affairs the 
most important person ” crept about in 
her unconcerned way, oblivious of every- 
thing going on, and talking to herself in 
a language untranslatable. 

What a dainty, pretty service the chris- 
tening proved to be ! It was held in a 
most beautiful dell, full of meadow flowers 
and ferns, that were deeply embedded in 
the softest and greenest of moss. 

On a dais of forget-me-nots sat the King 
and Queen, their eyes bent with pride 
upon their only daughter, sound asleep 
in the arms of her nurse. 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 1 9 

The service went smoothly until Parson 
Snap-dragon held np the walnut of water. 

“ Fernitta,” he said, and that was all, 
for a stray drop tickled her nose and woke 
the young lady with a start. She thrust 
out her fists, drew np her legs, puckered 
her face, opened her mouth, and emitted a 
scream of remarkable volume. 

Every one stopped up their ears. 

“ What lung capacity ! ’ ’ one shouted 
to the distracted Queen. 

“ What promise of a lovely voice ! She 
will sing with power,” gasped another 
above the screams. 

“Will she never stop crying?” ex- 
claimed all the fairies to themselves in 
despair. 

Was it not sad for the Princess to dis- 
grace herself thus ? 

As persistently as she had slept she 
now kept up her crying, and the nurse 


20 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


found it necessary to carry her off of the 
field of honor to a flower near by, and 
administer some ground checkerberry 
seeds, supposed to be very soothing. 
When she stopped, her pretty dress was 
drenched with tears. As for the volun- 
teer nurses, two were so ill they could not 
witness the rest of the service. 

Upon her return the tear-stained little 
Princess seemed very passive, probably 
more from being exhausted than from 
anything else. She submitted to being 
held in the arms of each godmother and 
behaved in a faultless way. 

Now, these godmothers were twelve 
wonderfully beautiful as well as gifted 
fairies, and each one was expected to wish 
the baby Princess something lovely. 

In fairy stories it is an unfortunate but 
established fact that one of the god- 
mothers becomes angry and pronounces 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


21 


some sad fate for the baby’s future. This 
the King planned to omit, but, poor man, 
with all his care and painstaking he did 
the very thing he wished not to do. 

Fairy Grumble-growl was invited last. 
This does not seem important, but it was 
— most terribly so — for this particular 
fairy was very sensitive. 

Of course, in the natural order of things, 
some one had to receive the last invite ; 
why not Fairy Grumble-growl as well as 
anybody else? But she did not think of 
this, and so, after eleven had held and 
kissed Princess Fernitta and wished a 
lovely wish. Fairy Grumble-growl flew 
into the group, grabbed the Princess with 
a spiteful shake, and sputtered out in a 
frightful manner, — 

“ The idea of inviting me last ! My 
wish is that this precious child shall be- 
come a mortal. Beware of a certain birth- 



22 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


day ! ” Then with a push she thrust the 
pretty baby into the nurse’s arms and 
flew off, shaking her fist menacingly. A 
very disconcerted group watched her out 
of sight. 

“ How dare she ? ” said the King, charg- 
ing up and down the dais, while the Queen 
fainted and fell forward onto a bottle con- 
taining some of the baby’s tears, com- 
pletely breaking it to atoms. 

All was pandemonium ! 

Every one was speechless except the 
Princess, and she thought it all very 
funny. She began to laugh and crow, 
and did not seem to have minded Fairy 
Grumble-growl’s wild actions in the least. 

“ From now on Fairy Grumble-growl is 
banished from Fairyland ! The idea of 
her — the idea ! ” shouted the King in- 
coherently, growing angrier every mo- 
ment. “ Lord Dragon-fly, go you quickly 


MODE A’ AT FAIRYLAND. 


23 


and bring the Court Record and let me 
erase her despicable name ! Hasten ! ” 
Meanwhile the King raised the Queen, 
rubbed her poor white hands, and fanned 
her vigorously with a willow-leaf. 

“ Well ! ” remarked Fairy Honeysuckle, 
“ we cannot change or modify that in- 
famous wish. In spite of our combined 
efforts nothing can be done to keep Prin- 
cess Fernitta from being a mortal — not 
all the wishing-wands in Fairyland.” 

“ I shall try every means to avert 
the calamity,” said the King. “ How- 
ever, here is my faithful courier with 
the Court Record. Many thanks. Lord 
Dragon-fly! Fairy Grumble-growl shall 
not have her name with those of respect- 
able fairies any longer ; ” and he tore her 
seal out of the oak-leaf scroll with its bark 
binding. 

“ Nothing was said about how long she 



24 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


would remain a mortal,” said Sir Beetle- 
wing. 

“ That’s it ; she was charmingly indef- 
inite ! Mind you, she did not say which 
birthday,” piped a tiny peri. 

“ I think it is some satisfaction to know 
that she will not always remain a mortal. 
Nothing was said about her never return- 
ing, if you remember. So let’s sing and 
be glad that we have her with us now — 
and will have in the end,” one comforter 
said sweetly, thus reviving the fairies’ 
spirits. 

“ Come, let us make merry and show 
the wicked Grumble-growl that we still 
have some life left,” came from the back- 
ground. 

“ First,” interrupted the King, “ let all 
present promise never to reveal to the 
Princess as she grows older the sad fate 
in store for her. Swear ! ” 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


25 


“We swear ! ” they said, kneeling down 
in the thick moss. 

After this the fairies flew away in 
gronps singing, — 

“ Fernitta ! Fernitta ! 

Our Princess and fairy, 

She’ll turn to a mortal 



That’s clumsy, not airy ! 
Oh, hasten the day 
When again she’s a fairy. 
Happily, gracefully. 

Her sceptre to carry ! ” 


CHAPTER III. 

OUTCOME OF FAIRY GRUMBLE-GROWL’S 

threat. 

The King and Queen were in eonstant 
fear of Fairy Grumble-growl’s threat, and 
although she had warned them only of 
the Princess’ birthdays, they had their 
little daughter accompanied by a guard of 
some kind every day. 

The King spent all his spare time try- 
ing to plan a scheme to frustrate the plot 
of the wicked godmother. He finally hit 
upon the idea of having made, each year, 
a copper cylinder large enough to admit 
the Princess and nothing more. 

“ Just the very thing ! ” he shouted in 
glee. “ If she is sealed in one of these 

every birthday, how can she grow into a 
26 


MODERN- FAIRYLAND. 


27 


mortal ? Just the very thing ! Ha ! ha ! 
ha ! ” and he applauded this with a slap 
on the knee. 

Immediately, the matter was brought 
before the court and a sharp discussion 
followed, but in the end every one present 
admitted it to be a capital idea. 

The Brownies and the Gnomes both 
wanted to take the contract, as the King 
offered in payment a certain bit of ledge, 
rich in ores. Both bands were anxious 
to add to their treasure-heaps, and besides 
they each had always secretly coveted 
that one particular ledge. 

Votes were cast to see which party 
should have the contract, and the Brownies 
were proclaimed the lucky ones. The 
Gnomes acted very huffily, and impolitely 
turned their backs on the King and his 
goodly retainers, vowing to pay the mon- 
arch back at the first chance. 



28 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 


As tlie Gnomes disappeared tlie red- 
coated Brownies shouldered their picks 
and shovels and went through a motion 
song: 

“Oh, royal little fellows we ! 

Oh, jolly fellows, as you see ! 

We pound, we dig, we lift and forge 

All metals nicely as can be. 

“ Our axes in this way we throw. 

’ Tis easy ? Try it and you’ll know. 

Of cylinders we’ve made a few, 

A copper one we’ll give to you. 

“Oh, jolly little Brownies we ! 

And very knavish, as you see ! 

Each one is as busy, as busy, 

As a buzzing bumble-bee ! 

“ Buzz ! Buzz ! ” 

With this they wheeled about and went 
off, each one hopping on his left foot. 

Accordingly the Princess was measured 
from head to toe, the plans were drawn. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


29 


and soon the copper cylinder assumed a 
tangible shape. 

The King was extremely jubilant over 
the state of affairs and seemed positively 
hilarious when the Brownies bore the 
first copper cylinder to him for inspection. 
It was the eighth of an inch in height, 
with peep-holes and air-holes, and a slide 
through which to push refreshments 
during the prisoner’s confinement. Truly 
the cylinder was a most remarkable sight ! 
There it stood in the hollow all in readi- 
ness. 

Fairy Grumble-growl had certainly 
made it very troublesome by not telling 
the particular birthday of which to take 
warning. The King tried his best to com- 
promise with her in some wa}', but she 
remained obdurate. 

It does not seem strange to say that the 
Princess’ birthdays were anything but 



3 ° 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


merry and full of rejoicing. It was hard 
to tell whicli dreaded them the most, the 
Princess or the Fairies. It was not so 
much the idea of being shut up that 
troubled the Princess, but because she 
could not find out why she was thus boxed 
up, and on one particular day. 

“ Why won’t some other day do quite 
as well ? ” she would ask ; and no one 
ever essayed an answer. 

Thus every year the Princess christened 
a new cylinder, for meantime she was 
growing very quickly — that is, for a fairy, 
yon understand. When four years old 
she averaged nearly three-eighths of an 
inch, and when ten years of age measured 
exactly three-quarters of an inch. 

As she grew, so did the fairies’ admi- 
ration increase. They worshipped the 
ground she walked upon. In fact, she 
could have been drawn in her tiny flower 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


31 


coach, by the fairies themselves had she 
so willed it. 

Wee flowers and mosses were strewn 
in her path wherever she went. How 
dainty she looked bowing her head to all 
of the subjects, not one of whom could 
boast of such beautiful golden hair ! No 
wonder the fairies loved the pretty crea- 
ture. 

But as time went on the Princess began 
to develop strange traits. For one thing 
she had a weakness for asking questions, 
and, as the fairies were an ignorant, 
pleasure-loving set, she was never sat- 
isfied with their answers, and was 
generally sent to the Court Philosopher. 
He was a funny fellow, with a beard that 
swept the ground, tripping him at every 
other step ; and was supposed to be the 
“ scholar ” of Fairyland, though how 
much of a one remains for you to judge. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


32 

Fernitta pestered him with questions 
until his head was so muddled that he 
did not even know his name, and when- 
ever he saw her coming he would hide 
in sheer terror. 

“ The idea of my knowing why or how 
the flowers grow ! ” he sputtered to her 
when cornered. “ Of course I don’t 
know.” 

“ What do you know anyway ? ” was her 
saucy inquiry. 

“ Oh, go away ! ” he cried out testily, 
running off as fast as his long beard 
would permit him. 

The little Princess declared that she saw 
no use whatever in having a Court Philos- 
opher, and after awhile snubbed the poor 
fellow unmercifully. 

In time it was thought best to educate 
the Princess, but the fairies found, to 
their dismay, that she cared nothing what- 


modern fa/ryland. 


33 


ever for tlieir accomplishments. She 
would not sing, she would not fly, and 
absolutely declined to stay up all night 
to revel. What could be done with such 
a fairy ? 

One day she came across Lord Nimble- 
foot swinging on a bramble. 

“ Good morning, fair Princess,” he 
caroled out. 

“ Good morning, sir,” she replied, 
climbing up a mullen stalk near by. 

“ Why don’t you use your wings instead 
of climbing in that ungainly way ? ” said 
he. “ It’s ever so much easier to fly — so,” 
describing a tiny circle in the air, “ to say 
nothing of being more graceful ; ” and he 
sat on the bramble again. “Won’t you 
just try it? ” he asked. 

“ I rather guess not ! Too much bother 
to flutter around,” she replied, teetering 

up and down indifferently. 

3 



34 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


“ You don’t look very contented some- 
how,” Lord Nimble-foot said after awhile. 

“I’m bored to death, to tell the truth — 
and I’ve run away ! ” 

Lord Nimble-foot drew nearer to invite 
her confidence. 

“ Run away ! What’s up now ? ” said 
he. 



“ Oh ! ” she sighed with a resigned 
look, “ that horrid Fairy Tip-toe has 
been trying to make me jump around on 
first one foot and then the other ! Tire- 
some ! I can’t do it ! Besides, that old 
Fairy High-fly has been giving me an 
exhibition on the first rudiments of fly- 
ing — ” she paused. 

“ What else ? ” said her listener. 

“ Fairy Sing-C has just screeched her- 
self hoarse showing me how to trill 
‘ Happy little fairies we,’ and has suc- 
ceeded only in making me quite deaf ! ” 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 


35 


“You seem to have no difficulty in 
hearing 7ne ! ” Lord Nimble-foot ven- 
tured to reply. Femitta laughed mock- 

iiigly- 

“ You’re a shrewd one ! ” she retorted. 

“ You’re not like most fairies, ’tis 
plainly to be seen,” said her companion, 
with a wise look. “ And from what I 
have heard, you closely resemble a curious 
race called mortals.” 

Fernitta became intensely interested in 
the topic and begged him to give a close 
description of that peculiar race. 

“ Some are as tall as that tree over 
there,” he said, pointing to a small pine. 

“ How large they must be ! ” she ex- 
claimed, in wonder. 

After this the Princess asked so many 
questions that Lord Nimble-foot ran away 
in despair. Being thus deserted she 
clambered down and wandered aimlessly 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


36 



among the grasses, thinking and puzzling 
over what she had just been told. 

“ I should like to see a mortal ! ” she 
ejaculated, sitting on a tiny mushroom, 
and swinging her feet over the edge in a 
very unfairylike manner. Here she pon- 
dered until her attention was drawn by 
the flash of pickaxes and shovels held in 
the hands of some gnomes who were dig- 
ging some distance away. As she slid off 
her seat she discovered some elves steal- 
ing eggs from a ground-swallow’s nest. 

“ What do you do this for ? ” she asked 
of the merry band of robbers. 

“ These eggs are for the Princess Fer- 
nitta’s birthday cake that we are to bake 
in the moonlight to-night,” they replied. 

“ Much I shall enjoy the cake, shut up 
in a stuffy cylinder ! ” muttered the little 
lady, leaving the elves abruptly and pass- 
ing on to the group of gnomes. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


37 


“ What do you dig ? ” accosting them. 

“ Gold-root,” the leader replied. 

“ What for ? ” 

“ It’s part of our business to sell it,” he 
retorted. 

“ Well, you are busy fellows, he it said 
to your credit, for as lazy people the fai- 
ries easily take the lead ! ” 

“ How can you say that when you are 
one of them ? ” the gnome exclaimed in 
surprise. 

“ A fairy I am at heart, but not a lazy 
one by natnre.” 

Here the leader paused in his work, 
leaned on his shovel, and looked at her 
quizzically. 

“ You’re Princess Fernitta, are you not, 
and to-morrow is your birthday ? Am I 
not right ? ” he asked, for since the 
trouble over the contract for the copper 
cylinders these little miners had not at- 


38 MODERN FAIRYLAND. 

tended court and therefore had no ac- 
quaintance with her little Majesty. 

“ Yes, I suppose that’s right,” was her 
answer. 

“ Then yon don’t enjoy the prospect of 
entering the cylinder, I take it,” the 
crafty gnome said. 

“ How can one, I should like to know ? 
Birthdays are an awful bore. I cannot 
understand why the other fairies, too, 
do not spend their birthdays in copper 
cylinders.” 

“ And yon don’t know why you are put 
in one? ” asked the leader. 

Princess Femitta shook her head. 

“ That’s what I have tried my best to 
find out ! ” 

Here the leader winked at his com- 
panions, as much as to say, “ Now is the 
time to get our revenge on the King ! ” 
What did it matter if they had vowed at 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


39 


the christening never to tell the Princess 
of the fate in store for her? To their 
minds that was null and void. 

“Well, I can tell you,” he began, as his 
companions left their work and gathered 
around the two in a circle. 

“ When you were a baby a certain fairy 
got angry with your father and said in 
revenge that ^^ou would become a mortal 
on some future birthday; that’s why 
you’re put in the cylinder.” 

“ Oh, I see ! ” she interrupted. “ What 
fun ! Why, I’ve just this moment been 
wishing to see a mortal, and now to think 
of being one ! I’ll not get into that cyl- 
inder again if I • know myself. Thank 
you, sir ; ” and Princess Fernitta ran off, 
leaving the gnomes clucking to them- 
selves over their revenge. 

“ If I go home, to-morrow will see me 
in that stupid cylinder ! No, thanks ! I 



40 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


won’t go home, and in that way I shall 
escape it.” Tims the Princess argued as 
she tripped along under the leaves and 
ferns. 

When night came on she crept into a 
buttercup and soon lay sound asleep. 

Fairyland was the scene of great con- 
sternation when the Princess did not come 
home. The ten wasps who had been ap- 
pointed her guard for the day confessed to 
have fallen asleep, and for punishment 
had their stingers cut off, which was the 
worst possible disgrace. 

Expressly to please the Princess it had 
been planned to have the banquet that 
night earlier than usual. 

The fairies sat down when the feast was 
spread, and \vaited and waited, but the 
Princess did not come, and so many had 
lost their appetites that the banquet was 
a dismal failure. The King and Queen 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


41 


had no heart for the revels, and retired 
from the scene. 

“ To-morrow is her birthday, my lord,” 
sobbed the poor frantic Queen, “ and if we 
don’t find her she will be at the mercy of 
the wicked Grumble-growl ! Oh, dear ! 
perhaps to-morrow is the day, you know ; 
and Femitta won’t be in the cylinder.” 
This was followed by a burst of tears. 

Incoherent as this was, the King 
gathered its meaning and hastily went 
back to send out searching parties, leading 
the largest division himself. 

The Princess was not to be found, high 
nor low, and the troops were called to- 
gether and led sorrowfully home. Noth- 
ing was seen of her Highness upon 
her birthday, and the Queen gave up in 
despair. Not so the King, however ; he 
still diligently kept up the hunt. But 
he was forced to agree with his wife when 


42 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 



Jf ^ 



lie and Sir Puck came upon tke footsteps 
leading to the buttercup and recognized 
them as those of the Princess, for on the 
other side footsteps were found to lead 
away from the flower, and these, when fol- 
lowed up, kept increasing in size to such 
immense proportions that further search 
was abandoned, as nothing could prove 
more positively that the Princess had 
turned into a mortal. 


CHAPTER IV. 


AFFAIRS AT THE CASTLE. 


After the disappearance of the Prin- 
cess her birthdays were set apart as days 
of monrning. There was absolute quiet, 
no midnight revels were permitted, and 
all signs of gaiety were prohibited. Every- 
one was compelled to wear a bit of black 
pansy, their symbol of monrning, and 
cautioned not to smile. 

Fairyland presented a woful sight on 
such occasions ; indeed, so many tears 
were shed that a dense fog always covered 
the meadow. 

Every spear of grass, every mushroom, 
every flower sheltered a disconsolate fairy. 

What a strange sight the whole band 
43 



44 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


must have presented, with their hands 
folded, wings drooping, and faces wet 
with tears ! Poor little creatures ! They 
could not sing, nor dance, nor even smile, 
and so had to amuse themselves by weep- 
ing, which they did with a vengeance. 

Since the fatal birthday the King and 
Queen had lived in the closest confine- 
ment. Their home was a wild rose, pro- 
tected by a surrounding moat, over which 
lay a drawbridge of vines. 

This wild-rose castle was very gor- 
geously furnished, and was truly a most 
fitting abode for the royal couple. Think 
of taking a nap between pink petals, of 
sitting on velvety stamens, and of breath- 
ing such a perfumed atmosphere all the 
year through ! But the unhappy occu- 
pants little appreciated these luxuries. 

Through nursing their one sorrow the 
King and Queen changed very much ; he 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


45 


became old and bent, and contracted 
dyspepsia of tlie worst type ; the Queen 
owned two deep wrinkles on ber little 
forehead. All this quite concerned the 
fairies, for they had never heard of two 
such cases before. Consequently, the 
castle was filled with some twelve magi- 
cians, who racked their learned (?) brains 
to make out a diagnosis of each case. 

IV/ij the King felt a pain after eating 
was a great puzzle, and the only way to 
cure this effectually, they assumed, was 
for his Majesty not to eat at all, which 
remedy the patient objected to strongly. 

These magicians spent all day and all 
night poring over their dusty volumes of 
magic, trying every experiment known to 
their science. 

Finally one dusty fellow emerged from 
. a pile of scrolls and declared that he had 
found a remedy for the King’s disease. 



46 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 




“ It is a disease common among mortals. 
Therefore,” he argued, “ to find the 
medicine a mortal must be interviewed.” 

“ Exactly so,” murmured the otherwise 
, ones, bowing their heads, but rightly 
questioning as to whether their friend had 
discovered the remedy or the means to one. 

Surely it was not a clever magician to 
thus divulge a discovery to his competi- 
tors ! And what happened ? 

Bach crafty magician secretly sent off 
a messenger to interview some mortal. 
Now, it happened that these messengers 
all set out at the same time, and also in 
the same direction, and they chanced to 
meet on the way. 

There was a kelpie, a pixie, a 
dwarf, a hobgoblin, an elf, a pygmy, 
a brownie, a water-sprite, a nymph, 
a peri, a gnome, and a pigwidgin. 
Of course they were extremely sur- 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


47 


prised to see one another, and when asked 
what he was travelling for, each remained 
silent. 

When simultaneously an old woman 
was seen down the road, the messengers 
struggled into line. Now, strange to say, 
the old woman was nothing more or less 
than a witch, who knew the messengers all 
very well, and did not mind in the least to 
have them whisper in her ear. She must 
have been astonished to receive the same 
questions from all twelve. Perhaps she 
knew what was coming beforehand ; in that 
case she was very wise not to give it away. 

The messengers went off repeating her 
answer over and over to themselves. The 
twelve reached P'airyland at the same time 
and found the magicians together. The 
messengers marched on their toes toward 
the magicians, and the magicians likewise 
marched toward the messengers. 



48 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


“WHat?” said the learned ones, with 
a frown. 

“ Diet ! ” shouted the messengers, bow- 
ing to the ground together. 

Immediately each magician claimed to 
have been the discoverer of the remedy, 
and it was a long time before they were 
agreed to act together and decide upon the 
articles of food for diet. The result was 
that the King lived on poached humming- 
birds’ eggs, chickweed soup, and milkweed 
gruel. But the dyspepsia grew no better, 
and the King demanded a change. 

Not knowing what else to do the magi- 
cians once more sent twelve messengers 
to interview a mortal. This time they 
went in diverse directions, and when they 
got back each one had a different remedy. 
Now, as the magicians would not agree 
on any one medicine, each dose was com- 
pounded, and the King took hot water 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


49 


after every meal, Bismuth powders, Saler- 
atus. Citrate of Magnesia, Belladonna, 
Bryonia, Calcarea, Chamomilla, Coffea, 
Colocynth, Pulsatilla, Hyoscyamus — and 
then the dyspepsia was no better. 

In a terrible, horrible, raging temper he 
sent the magicians spinning like so many 
tops out of the castle. 

The weary little Queen, too, had her 
trial, and every night submitted to the 
treatment of a dozen different fays, but in 
spite of their combined efforts the wrinkles 
stayed. When at last it was found that 
they were caused by worriment, the faith- 
ful fays set off to hunt a cure, and as they 
are persistent creatures, in all probability 
they are hunting yet. 

At last the King forbade audience to 
everyone except Puck, and naturally 
life became very monotonous for those in 

the rose. 

4 


CHAPTER V. 

NEWS FROM THE ABSENT PRINCESS. 

It was the early morning of another 
anniversary day. A grasshopper alighted 
upon the drawbridge and knocked at the 
rose castle. 

“ Who’s there ? ” roared the King, feel- 
ing a twinge of dyspepsia. “ Haven’t I 
forbidden anyone to bother me ? ” 

The knocking continued. 

“ Go away this minute or I’ll dump 
you into the moat,” the King snapped 
out, testily enough. 

Still the knocking continued. 

His Majesty’s ill humor was something 
terrific, and with a grunt he pushed aside 
the front petal and gave audience to the 
persistent intruder. 


50 


MODERiV FA IR YLA ND. 5 1 

Without a word the grasshopper handed 
the dazed King a note. His Majesty was 
so surprised that he forgot to thank the 
messenger, and did not notice that he flew 
away. 

“Whom can it be from?” exclaimed 
the King, fingering the mysterious letter. 
To tell the truth he had never seen a 
letter before in his life. 

The first thing the King did was to 
summon the Court Philosopher, as he 
was the only one who could give infor- 
matiou on difficult matters. 

When the Philosopher came he took 
the note, opened it, and viewed the written 
contents. He was the only person in 
Fairyland that had ever learned the A. 
B. C., and as he had no practice he soon 
forgot the art of reading. In order to 
decipher the note he had to send for his 
primer, and the little errand fairy was not 


52 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 



slow in spreading the news, and when 
she went into the castle a mnltitude of 
fairies followed. It took the Philosopher 
so-o-o-o-o long to discover who had written 
the note that had it not been for their 
cnriosity the fairies would have fallen 
asleep. 

“ F-e-r-n-i-t-ta ! ” he drawled out. “ It 
is from the Princess ! ” 

Bveryone was alert at this and impa- 
tient for the rest. After some more spell- 
ing, which tried every fairy’s patience, 
he read the note haltingly. Itran as 
follows : 


“My dear Parents : 

“ Expect me home this evening on the 
Fast Express, if there is such. If not, I 
shall arrive in my own turnout about five 
o’clock. 

“ Your obedient daughter, 

“ Princess Fernitta.” 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


53 


“ Fast Express ! Her own turnout ! 
What does all that mean ? ” exclaimed 
the muddled fairies. Poor ignorant little 
creatures ! what did they know about 
“ five o’clock,” never having seen a watch ? 
If the Princess had said, “ Meet me at 
sunset,” the fairies would have understood. 
However, it was enough to know that the 
Princess was to come that day. 

jMy ! what a hurry and scurry ! What 
a change in the King and Queen. Dys- 
pepsia and wrinkles disappeared instanta- 
neously. The royal pair stripped off their 
mourning, and soon every fairy was 
busily making a new gown. 

The rose castle was sprinkled and 
refreshed throughout, the spiders spun 
with all their might and main, the birds 
sang, the flowers took a beauty nap, and 
the crickets practiced all day long upon 
their instruments. 


CHAPTER VI. 

THE PRINCESS ARRIVES. 

At dusk the fairies, dressed in the 
gowns made for the occasion, gathered 
together impatient to meet the Princess. 

This is the way in which they marched : 

Prime Minister Puck, 

Marsh’s Orchestra, 

Royal Equipage, 

Body-guards and Attendants, 
Brownies, 

Fairies, 

Sprites, 

Kelpies, 

Kobolds, 

Witches, 

Goblins, 

54 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


55 


Pixies, 

Elves, 

Fays, 

Field Orchestra. 

W^as this not a curious procession ? 

It was brilliant in the extreme. The 
pompons Prime Minister, or Sir Puck, 
led the way with all due ceremony, wav- 
ing his bulrush in time with the music. 
He made a very good Drum Alajor indeed. 
Professor Cricket followed with his two 
score musicians, who played a melodious 
and measured strain. Then came the 
King and Queen riding in a walnut car- 
riage drawn by eight of the choicest 
butterflies in the world. At the side ran 
twenty little fays, and immediately after 
marched the Regiment of Hornets and 
Bees. Then trooped the subjects, each 
fairy waving a wand tipped with a spark- 
ling diamond, and each goblin having a 



56 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


blazing ruby stuck in bis cap. Bach 
perfect gem sparkled and glittered in the 
rays of the setting sun — surely a novel 
torchlight procession ! To let yon guess 
how many gems there were let me say 
that a two-quart measure would about 
hold them. 

Through the hollow, up a hummock, 
down again to a big gray stone they 
marched, here stopping to group around 
the King and Queen in a picturesque 
semicircle. They waited in feverish 
excitement. 

“ She did not say which way she was 
coming, but I trust it is here in IMaple- 
leaf Lane,” said the King in great 
agitation. 

A curious sound brought all of them to 
their feet in alarm. Plunk ! Plunk ! 
Plunkity Plunk ! ! ! 

The first impulse was to run away. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


57 


The fairies were about to do so when a 
vehicle the like of which they had never 
seen before drove into their very midst. 

Behold the most stylish miniature 
private carriage of the Nineteenth Century 
— coachman, span, and all ! The tiny 
bays pranced and pawed the ground 
impatiently. All of which frightened the 
fairies, who had expected to see their 
Princess flutter down the lane and join 
their circle a fairy in every sense. To 
them the horses were a species of butter- 
fly without wings, and every time they 
neighed the fairies shivered and shrank 
back in fear, wondering how the Princess 
could have a taste for such ugly things. 

Presently the door of the coupe was 
pushed open and two pretty faces appeared, 
and in a moment out stepped Princess 
Fernitta, followed by a natty maid, whom 
she addressed thus : 



58 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 


“ Tressa, bring my parasol immediately ; 
tbe sun is still bot at this hour. I don’t 
know how this climate is for freckles.” 

The mesh of lace being produced, she 
held it jauntily over her head. 

“ How changed she is ! ” thought the 
fairies. 

Her hair was coiled in a knot, and she 
wore a nobby little turban ; she was 
dressed in a suit of navy-blue serge, and 
two patent-leather tips peeped from tinder 
the skirts, which were held up with one 
gloved hand. Altogether she looked as if 
she had stepped out of some fashion book. 

She was a wonder to the little people, 
who could not conceive of a fairy without 
wings and a wand. 

The band finally gathered courage to 
trip around the Princess and her train. 
The imps, pigwidgins, and fays trilled a 
pretty welcome song 5 the fairies waved 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


59 


their wands ; and the brownies and gnomes 
beat time with pickaxe and shovel. 

“ Thus we nightly trip it lightly, 

Ever sprightly, 

On tiptoe or on wing fleeing. 

With birds winging, posing, swinging. 

Dancing, singing ! 

We are ever pleasures seeing. 

Now you’ll nightly, with us sprightly. 

Ever lightly. 

On tiptoe or on wing fleeing. 

Feasting, singing, dancing, swinging. 

With birds winging ! 

You with us these pleasures seeing ! 

Welcome ! Welcome ! Welcome ! Welcome ! 

Welcome ! Welcome ! 

Welcome to our Princess royal ! 

Thus we’ll serve you, thus we’ll love you. 

Thus we’ll call you. 

Princess ! Ruler ! Fairy loyal ! 

As the fairies gained confidence the 
circle whirled the faster and the song grew 
the livelier, but the climax was very dif- 


6o MODERN FAIR VLAND. 

ferent from wliat the fairies had expected, 
for the horses, dazed at first with the blur 
and the noise, reared, snorted, and threat- 
ened to run away. 

“ Stop your senseless gabble,” shrieked 
the Princess ; “ don’t yon see you frighten 
the horses ? ” 

At this the disheartened circle shrank 
back, completely cowed. The Princess 
then rose to her full height, raised her 
lorgnette, and stared icily at the fairies. 

“ Ah ! ” exclaimed the little lady, with 
another glance at them. “ What manner 
of greeting is this ? ” 

The fairies looked dejected and shrank 
nearer together. The Princess continued 
scrutinizing the group, and when she 
discovered the Court Philosopher she drew 
the maid’s attention to the old fellow’s 
beard, at which both the ladies indulged 
in a quiet laugh. 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 6 1 

“ Well,” Fernitta began, “ wbat idiotic 
dressmakers they must employ ! Perhaps, 
though, they have adopted the dress 
reform,” turning to her maid. 

“ That’s plausible,” was the response 
from that trim little person, who then 
turned to inspect the baggage, which had 
been piled high upon a cart attached to 
the coupe. 

“ Bah ! I should think you’d be cold 
here in this damp air. Don’t you feel the 
need of an opera cloak ? With your neck 
and arms bare, it is really dangerous ; ” 
and her Highness shrugged her shoulders. 

On she talked in an unconscious way, 
showing that she had quite forgotten 
having spent a part of her childhood 
dressed in similar frocks. 

“ I suppose you don’t have bon-ton hair- 
dressers either, poor things, or you wouldn’t 
let your hair hang. It looks schoolgirl- 


62 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


like and silly. Tressa’s awfully good at 
doing np Hair, and I’ll lend Her to you 
sometime,” said ske magnanimously. 

But Tressa heaved a sigh of despair at 
the immensity of such a task, for it in- 
cluded hundreds and hundreds of huge 
braids to he combed and twisted in a be- 
coming way. The fairies did not appear 
\ overjoj^ed at the offer, looked dreadfully 
^ foolish, and tried their best to gather their 
fluffy locks behind them. 

When Fernitta turned her glasses upon 
the royal pair in the dainty walnut car, 
she gave a tiny well-bred cry of delight. 
The happy parents flew to their long lost 
daughter and naturally, very naturally, 
hugged her. 

“ Oh ! oh ! don’t ; you’ll tear my hair 
down ! ” met their ears and so stunned 
them that they fell into one another’s 
arms. The Princess nervously smoothed 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 63 

down the ruffled locks and offered her left 
cheek to he kissed. But the kissing was 
done with little enjoyment. Poor parents ! 
Thoughtless Fernitta ! 

From a distance Sir Puck had watched 
matters in his quiet way, and now, with a 
most distracting twinkle in his eye, he 
walked up to greet the Princess. She 
raised her hand exactly parallel with her 
head, giving the pert little fellow the 
fashionable shake of the day. Sir Puck 
appeared to be immensely amused at this, 
and he disconcerted her Highness by 
thrusting his bulrush between her fingers 
and bursting into a hearty laugh. The 
Princess looked at him disapprovingly 
through her lorgnette, but Puck bore the 
scrutiny well. 

“ Sir ! ” said the indignant Princess. 

“ Sir Puck, at your service,” laying his 
hands across his breast. 


64 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 


“ Sir ! ” she gasped, enraged at his 
saucy attitude, for he had stuck his bul- 
rush in the ground and leaned back 
against it, forming an acute angle ; thus 
he eyed the Princess from head to foot. 

“ Humph ! ” he remarked at length. 
“ Pray, what manner of greeting do you 
give us? What kind of dress is the 
gloomy one which yon have plastered on ? 
Why do yon bundle your hair in such a 
ridiculous bob ? ” 

Applause by the fairies. 

“ Tell me what that is perched on the 
top of your head? ” 

“ Did you ever see such impudence ? 
He’s not safe to have in a civilized com- 
munity. He needs a rigorous lesson in 
etiquette,” said the Princess nervously to 
her maid. 

“ Please to tell me what that idiotic 
article is called perched upon your nose ? 


MODERt>r FAIR YLAND. 65 

Why do you look through it so — o ? ” he 
continued mockingly. 

“ Oh ! this is insufferable,” exclaimed 
the Princess, not enjoying the manner in 
which the tables had been turned upon 
her. 

“Tell me what sort of breed those but- 
terflies are,” pointing to the horses. 

Here the Princess could not contain her- 
self, and she made a dash at Sir Puck with 
the parasol. The cute little fellow nar- 
rowly escaped being caught in the lace 
flounces, and upon finding himself free 
went to gather his forces together for the 
home march, a plan the fairies hailed 
with relief. 

Up the hummock, through the hollow, 
across the glen they flew along in line, 

with the coupe bringing up in the rear. 

5 


CHAPTER VII. 


THE RECEPTION AND THE BANQUET. 

It was quite dark when the procession 
reached the hollow, and gallant Sir Puck 
(with the Court Philosopher close upon 
his heels) assisted the Princess from her 
coupe. 

“ Ah ! ” ejaculated her Highness, sur- 
prised at this act of politeness from one 
seemingly so rude. “ Thank yon very 
much ! ” Then, seeing the philosopher, 
she said : 

“ There’s that funny old man with the 
scroll ! He looks as if he needed help.” 

So he did, poor fellow, but the Princess 
little knew that he was struggling to write 

down her different phrases, and she 
66 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 67 

brushed by him with a patronizing air, to 
look upon her surroundings. 

“ Where is the castle ? ” she demanded, 
with a sweeping glance through her lor- 
gnette. “ I see none ; do you, Tressa ? ” 

The maid shook her head. 

“ Is it possible you have not seen that 
wild rose on the prominence at the left? ” 
Sir Puck exclaimed, as if he could not 
tolerate such lack of perception. 

“ That rose ! ” gasped Fernitta, expect- 
ing to see a mansion of stones. “ What a 
plebeian idea ! Where is the porte-cochh'e ? 
And, pray, why are we left to walk through 
this boggy moss ? ” The Princess turned 
to enter her coupe again. “ Drive me up 
to the door properly, Mike,” said she. 

“I’m afraid the horses won’t go any 
farther, mum,” the coachman replied ; 
“ they sink to their knees at every step, 
mum. The wheels — ” 


68 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


“ Too bad ! But I guess you will have 
to be content with present arrangements, 
your Highness,” interrupted Sir Puck, 
suppressing his anger with difficulty. 
“ Besides, we haven’t any such new- 
fangled notion as a ^ porte—porte ’—what 
did she call it?” turning to the Court 
Philosopher. “ Come, old fellow, have you 
got it written down there?” pointing to 
his scroll. 

“ P-o-r-t-e-c-o-c-h-e-r-e,” spelled the little 
fellow, laboriously. 

“ Is it worse for the horses to flounder 
around than for me f ” cried the Princess. 
“ I should like you to advance views 
on the subject. Sir Puck ! Why don’t you 
have macadamized roads ? B-r-r ! it is 
v-e-r-y wet ! ! ! ! ” grasping Sir Puck’s arm 
convulsively. “ Tressa, you get my rub- 
bers. I never saw anything parallel to 
this. Oh ! oh ! oh ! I beg of you to get 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 69 

out of this place quickly. Oh ! my skirts 
are draggled too.” 

“ I can’t myself see much advantage in 
wearing the long clumsy things,” re- 
marked Sir Puck as he offered her an arm. 

Mike was directed to stable the horses 
in a hollow stump near by, and as he drove 
off. Sir Puck, with a lady on either arm, 
started toward the rose. They had gone 
but a few steps when the Princess threw 
her hands in the air. 

“ There’s the baggage,” she cried, de- 
spairingly. “ To think that I should for- 
get that of all things ! ” 

“ Quiet your fears, my lady ; Mike has 
had orders concerning it,” said the maid. 

“ I will see that all is safely taken to the 
castle,” added Sir Puck, starting on again. 

As the two stumbled along by his side 
the wicked little escort could not refrain 
from saying : 


70 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 


“You seem to be having a hard time. 
You see that wings are rather handy, after 
all, don’t you ? ” 

The maid groaned out a ready assent, 
but the Princess replied : 

“ That’s a very ancient fashion — having 
wings. I had mine clipped. They spoil 
one’s figure, you know.” 

Sir Puck was guilty of a smile, but gal- 
lantly helped them over the vine draw- 
bridge and led them into the rose, where the 
fairies were congregated. Bveryone kept 
a respectful distance from the two dis- 
gusted travellers. 

“ You must be hungry,” said the Queen 
sweetly. “ The feast is all in readiness. 
We’ll proceed to the banquet hall,” wav- 
ing her wand for the fairies to obey. 

“ What ! ” interrupted the Princess. 
“ How untimely ! Not in my travelling 
dress, mother! This is beyond endur- 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


71 


ance ; ” and siie fell back in Sir Pnck’s 
arms. 

The King, in great agitation, wiped the 
perspiration off his face with a white violet 
leaf ; and the Queen too appeared quite 
nervous. 

“ Her Highness wishes to be taken to 
her room,” said the maid, with a low bow 
to the Queen, who graciously directed 
them to go behind a petal at the left. 

Fernitta recovered so as to retire without 
aid. 

“ Order my trunks immediately,” was 
her parting injunction to Sir Puck as she 
lifted one corner of the petal and disap- 
peared from sight. 

Puck immediately obeyed this order, and 
in consequence a procession presently 
neared the rose. Sir Puck headed the line, 
with his arms loaded down with wraps and 
a bundle of parasols and umbrellas ; follow- 


72 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


1 > 

? 


ing came a band of pixies carrying twelve 
Saratogas, as many bandboxes, two grips, 
and an extension satchel. As there was 
not room for all of this baggage it was 
piled outside the rose, on the drawbridge. 

The maid had a serious time finding the 
trunk eontaining the right toilet. It was 
finally produced, and while the Princess 
was donning it, the fairies clustered 
around the pile of trunks and so forth, 
casting wondering glances at the curious 
things. 

With a swish of silk and a gleam of 
jewels Fernitta burst in upon the assem- 
bly. She looked very stylish in a Worth 
gown of yellow crepe de Chine, with kid 
slippers and gloves to match, and a charm- 
ing bit of opera cloak hung over her arm. 
Her hair was done in a beautiful coiffure. 
She waved a gauze fan to and fro, quite 
the envy of the bespangled fairies. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


73 


The Princess returned their stare with 
perfect composure, and nonchalantly ac- 
cepted the arm of Sir Puck, who offered 
to show her the castle. They prome- 
naded between the petals and talked, but 
in a very disconnected way, as the Prin- 
cess proved to be erratic. 

“ What do the fairies carry those silly 
little sticks for? What a pity their 
diamond tips are not set in rings, orna- 
ments, or pins ! ” said she. 

“ Have yon forgotten that yon spent a 
portion of your childhood in Fairyland, 
your Highness ? ” replied Sir Puck. 

“ I have a dim remembrance of such,” 
was her reply. 

“ Your memory must be very defective 
if you do not know a wishing-wand.” 

“ Oh ! wishing-wands, are they ? They 
are convenient, too, I now recall, and I 
must have one right away, only — I should 


74 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 



never carry mine that way ; I should 
slip mine in a pocket — that is, if it did 
not spoil the hang of my skirt.” She 
laughed softly to herself. “ They’re silly- 
looking things, now, aren’t they ? ” and 
she tossed hack her head. 

Puck was silent. 

“ Could you lend me yours for a 
minute ? ” she added a moment later ; 
“ I have thought of a capital joke ; ” and 
she gave Puck a winning smile that served 
to bewilder him. 

He handed his wand over, and regretted 
it immediately, for what did the Princess 
do but wave the wand, and, lo ! every 
fairy’s dainty suit was changed to an 
evening dress or dress suit. 

So, this was her joke ! The Princess 
alone appreciated it, and fairly shrieked 
with laughter. Imagine the fright that 
it gave the fairies ! The gentlemen did 


I 


AfODEJ^A/’ FAIRYLAND. 


75 


not know liow to act witli trousers on, and 
looked like choked chickens with the stiff 
stand-up collars. The ladies tried their 
best to run away, and got all tangled in 
their skirts and trains. But when they 
found that no harm was meant they decided 
to stay, partly beeause they would lose 
the banquet if they went. 

]\Iy ! such a time as the fairies had 
managing the fans ! And the gallants 
made particularly awkward work with 
them. For fear the Psyche knot would 
tumble down, every lady held her head as 
if she had a stiff neck. 

The King and Queen were superb in 
royal purple and ermine. Altogether the 
Princess had a modem company of minia- 
ture mortals, except for the tiny wings ; 
but, much to the Princess’ despair, these 
remained. 

“You remind me of a brood of spring 



76 MODERN FAIRYLAND. 

cliickens,” was her remark when she found 
that nothing could induce the little peo- 
ple to have them clipped. 

“ Let ns now proceed to the spread,” 
said the King, offering his arm to his 
daughter. 

Sir Puck escorted the Queen, hut quite 
lost his temper as he kept tripping up on 
the Princess’ train. 

“ It seems to me that it would be a good 
idea to clip that arrangement ” (meaning 
the train) “ as effectually as yon did your 
wings,” said he, a satirical remark which 
the Princess ignored. 

The banquet was spread in the middle 
of the rose, and the fairies were seated on 
the stamen stools. The Princess found 
her seat rather uncertain, and she was 
quite concerned for fear the powder that 
came off of the top of it would stain her 
dress. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 77 

This is the list of dainties the menu 
afforded : 

Canned Acorn Meat, 

Fricasseed Grasshopper, 

Pollen Pudding, 

Candied Cresses, 

Salted Rose Seeds, 

Green Cheeses, 

Pickled Sourcrout, 

Honeysuckle. 

This was surely varied enough for the 
most exacting epicnre, but Fernitta tossed 
up her nose. 

“ One would as soon eat caterpillar sonp 
or mosquito pie ! What wouldn’t I give 
for some good beefsteak and mashed pota- 
toes? ” said she, holding a lace handker- 
chief up to stifle a yawn. 

However, to the Princess’ credit be it 
said, during the courses she talked to her 
nearest neighbors, though how much they 


78 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 


enjoyed her conversation remains a sub- 
ject for conjecture. She asked their views 
on Shakespeare and all the latest works in 
fiction. She asked if they had travelled 
extensively — where — and which country 
they preferred. Did they like Italy and 
Switzerland ? What college did the3/ 
attend ? Did So-and-so study vocal or 
instrumental music ? And which did Miss 
Such-a-one like best, banjo or guitar ? 

As soon as the feast was over and the 
fairies began to wander between the petals 
once more, the Princess made known her 
intention to retire. 

“ What ! not going now just when the 
fun begins ! We dance until sunrise,” 
said the King. 

Dance after two o’clock ! No, the Prin- 
cess said she would not commit such a 
breach of etiquette. And, with another 
sleepy yawn behind the lace handkerchief. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


79 

she went off with Sir Puck’s wand under 
her arm, for the little fellow had forgotten 
to take it back. 

“ There’s no use, I cannot sleep on rose 
leaves,” echoed through the petals to the 
congregation of fairies. “ I suppose a 
spring bed is unknown here. Dear me ! 
I am sure to have malaria if I sleep be- 
tween these damp petals. Tressa, what 
do?” 

Here the fairies began their revels to 
drown all further remarks. 

IVIeantime their merrymaking served to 
cover the hasty departure from the castle 
of the Princess and her maid. The quick- 
ness with which it was made was due en- 
tirely to the wishing-wand. When Fer- 
nitta crept stealthily over the vine draw- 
bridge and into the night, not a bandbox 
or trunk could be seen outside the castle. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

TRANSFORMATIONS ! PUCK INVESTI- 
GATES. 

Everyone knows Puck ; he is the Court 
Jester in Fairyland. The pranks this imp 
does not think of are hardly worth the 
mention. 

Never had Puck been baffled, discon- 
certed, or confounded until he met the 
Princess. He had never felt constrained 
with anyone before, and as he looked back 
he wondered how he possibly could have 
found courage to address the Princess as 
he did upon her arrival. Puck was never 
embarrassed in the company of his other 
lady fairy friends. But, alas for his peace 
of mind ! he had met someone who did 

8o 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


8l 


not bow the knee to his superiority, and 
he hardly knew whether to enjoy it or not. 
Princess Fernitta was a revelation. Her 
conduct upset Puck’s nerves to such an 
extent that he was very glad when the 
last dance was over and he had done his 
duty by escorting Fairy Silkenfloss home 
to her flower. 

He himself turned into a wild morning- 
glory for a nap — to doze as he supposed 
until another banquet. But something 
prevented this pleasure-loving Piick from 
going to sleep. This was a strange symp- 
tom. He took a poppy-seed powder, but 
even then he could not sleep. The result 
was that his mischievous pate popped out 
of the flower before the sun had peeped 
over the edge of the earth. 

Puck wagged his head from one side to 
the other, pricked up his ears, opened his 

mouth, and gave vent to a “ Ho ! ho ! ” 
6 



82 MODERN FAIRYLAND. 

of amazement, for wliat did he see down 
in the hollow but a complete little city 
with houses, paved streets, a church, 
electric lights, and a huge marble struc- 
ture easily recognized as a castle ? 

This gave him a slight shock, but what 
startled him more was the discovery of a 
tiny Queen Anne cottage just at the right 
of his own flower, 

“ I mustlook around,” said he brushing 
himself down and looking for his wand, 
a thing he never travelled without. He 
shook himself, he peeped under every 
petal, and was very angry when he re- 
called lending it to the Princess. She 
had evidently put it to the test again. 

“ Well,” said he, “ I’m going to investi- 
gate things ; ” and he wasn’t long taking 
his rose-water shower-bath and otherwise 
perfecting his toilet. 

He clambered down the stem of the 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


83 


flower to the ground. He gave a mighty 
yawn, stretched, turned a few somersaults 
so as to be surely awake, and then timidly 
approached the neighboring cottage. 
First he walked all around the house, 
coming nearer by degrees, and treading 
softly lest he should make a noise on the 
gravel walks. Sometimes he nsed his 
wings. 

He peered throngh a barn window and 
saw the “ butterflies ” in the stalls ; 
throngh another window he viewed Mike 
asleep on a low cot. 

From here Puck reconnoitered around 
the cottage, seeing enongh through the 
windows to wish he were inside. When 
he came to the veranda and saw the front 
door he resolved to get in at some rate. 
The resolute little fellow stalked up to the 
huge oak door, fumbled around awhile, 
and at last threw himself with his whole 


84 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 


strength against it. It flew back, sending 

f Sir Pnck sprawling into the reception 
hall over Persian rugs, and landing him 
heap by the hat-rack. Be- 



fellow, he sat on the floor 


trying to gather his scattered wits together. 
The polished floor was so slippery that he 
had a serious time getting onto his feet. 

Spying some of the Princess’ Parisian 
creations hanging on the knobs above his 
head, and recognizing among them the 
turban worn the day before, Puck chuckled 
to himself gleefully upon finding her 
retreat so soon. 

As he became used to his surroundings 
he grew bolder, and even went so far as 
to try on some of the hats ; then he put 
on the sealskin cloak and danced up and 
down before the large mirror at the end 
of the hall. 

He also found that lorgnette resting on 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 8$ 

the hall table, and practiced using it a- 
while. 

Then he wandered into the pretty 
parlor, sat in every chair, and nearly 
tipped over in a willow rocker. He 
handled the bric-a-brac and felt of the 
curtains and draperies. He found a mar- 
ble statue of Mercury, and was hurt to 
think it wouldn’t talk. 

He sat on the sofa covered with pillows, 
and before long was fast asleep in their 
midst. Poor fellow ! he had not slept a 
wink since the night’s revels, and no 
doubt the pillows seemed very soft to 
his tired body. 


CHAPTER IX. 


THE PRINCESS AND SIR PUCK TAKE A 

RIDE. the first attempt TO MOD- 
ERNIZE FAIRYLAND. 

What was that? An onyx clock strik- 
ing seven. When Sir Puck, thus aroused 
from his morning nap, opened his eyes he 
could not for the moment recall where he 
was. 

IMeanwhile, a peculiar but most appetiz- 
ing smell drew his attention. Besides 
this there was a distracting bustle and 
noise all over the house, and a certain 
clinking in the adjoining room. 

A step on the hall stairs reminded Puck 
that he did not belong in the house. 
Escape was out of the question, as the 
next moment in swept the Princess with 
86 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


87 


her usual hauteur. She wore a becoming 
morning gown trimmed with a profusion 
of lace and ribbon, 

“ Tressa ! ” she called, sharply ; where- 
upon a door was pushed back, and the 
maid appeared, wearing a spotless white 
apron and cap. 

“ IMarni ! ” said she. 

“ I found the front door ajar ; don’t let 
that happen again ; ” and the Princess 
sat down in a roomy rocker. “ Please to 
start a wood fire here ; it is decidedly 
chilly.” 

The maid disappeared. 

Sir Puck did not enjoy the situation. 
Why did not the Princess go out of the 
room and give him a chance to run off ? 
He dare not move, so watched the maid 
start the cosy fire and saw the Princess 
draw near to the blaze, placing her tiny 
slippers on the fender. 


88 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


It was a stifled sneeze that gave Sir 
Puek away, and he shivered from head to 
foot when the Princess jumped and gave 
a shrill “ Oh ! ” After the little lady had 
regained her self-possession she said : 

“Yon here? I was not aware I had a 
caller. Did not Tressa take your card? 
She is acting strangely for her, I must 
own. I shall have a talk and speak plain- 
ly with her. Dear me ! what a bother 
these servants are ! How do you settle 
the question here in Fair3dand ? But 3^ou 
look pale,” she said with concern ; “ are 
yon cold ? ” 

Puck shook his head. 

“ But I’m sure 3^011 are. Come here by 
the Are,” drawing a chair near hers. 

Though Puck rather liked that pros- 
pect^ he felt so embarrassed that he could 
not explain how he came, which perhaps 
was a happy omission. He did not sit at 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 89 

ease in the chair, but that did not matter. 
He had heard his cousin Robin Good 
Fellow tell many an experience, but Puck 
was sure that this famous relative of his 
could not boast of such as he was then 
having. 

For some reason Puck felt uncomfort- 
able about his apparel, and made up his 
mind to apologize for not wearing the 
evening suit given him so unexpectedly 
at the banquet on the previous night, but 
the Princess kept chatting away and that 
delicious smell kept coming to his nose, 
and the two combined to chase every re- 
solve out of his head. 

“You will stay to breakfast,” she said 
as the bell rang. 

As he did not know what to say he re- 
mained. 

When ushered into the dining-room 
Puck smoothed down his wings and began 


90 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


to look interested. The glitter of the cut 
glass and polished silver served to bewilder 
him somewhat. 

Presently he found himself sitting in a 
very high-backed something at the end of 
another very long something, with the 
Princess opposite. 

The dishes were a puzzle to him ; so 
were the knives, forks, and spoons, all of 
which he manipulated in an alarmingly 
curious way. He burned his tongue, 
spilled a spoonful of gravy, and dropped 
his fork a dozen times or so. 

He laughed at the yellow puffy muffins, 
and thought the steak and potatoes ’most 
as good as grasshopper fricasseed. He 
fairly gorged himself with these dainties, 
and reluctantly followed his hostess back 
to the parlor. 

“ It is now eight o’clock, and I take my 
morning ride at this time. I should be 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


91 

pleased to have you aecompany me, as I 
am going to inspect the city. Which do 
you prefer, my surrey, trap, or coupe ? ” 

He said the surrey would suit him, 
although he didn’t know what either of 
the three was like. 

Here the Princess excused herself, com- 
ing back shortly, dressed in a walking- 
suit ; a leghorn hat trimmed with violets 
was perched on her head. Under her arm 
she had Sir Puck’s wishing-wand, which 
she appeared to be very careful of. 

When Puck actually sat in the surrey 
beside the Princess, in front of the very 
umbrella that had been thrust at him upon 
her arrival, he felt as if he were dreaming. 

He found the carriage very comfortable, 
and soon began to fancy the span of pranc- 
ing bays, and only wished he were in 
Mike’s place. 

They sped along under tufts of grass 


92 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 



that to them were the same as big trees. 
They rode by the elumps of flowers, and 
soon entered the modern city in the hol- 
low. Over the smooth streets they rolled, 
getting out of the carriage at times to in- 
spect the different buildings. Not a per- 
son to be seen anywhere, not a house occu- 
pied, not a proprietor in the shops ; in fact 
the Princess and Sir Puck had full posses- 
sion of the little metropolis. 

They visited the church, and while the 
Princess played on the large organ Sir 
Puck scampered here and there among the 
pews, opening hymn-books and actually 
trying to sing Old Hundred with her 
Highness. 

The Public Library was examined, 
and although the books were a great won- 
der to Sir Puck, he enjoyed the Reading- 
room best; and among the periodicals 
he liked most of all the one which bore 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


93 

a likeness of himself and had his name 
emblazoned on the cover. 

They drove to the castle, and went from 
top to bottom of the large building. Sir 
Puck was enthusiastic over the stables, 
which held any number of beautiful shiny 
horses. He mounted one and rode around 
the castle bareback in spite of the 
Princess’ suggestion to use a saddle. 

As he dismounted, he said : 

“ Well, they’re ’most as good as grass- 
hoppers,” which was a great deal for Puck 
to say. 

Next the two took a row on the artifi- 
cial lake. Puck thought the oars were 
comical things and easy to handle, but 
after he had lost them in the water three or 
four times he came to the conclusion that 
it was easier to scull along with a reed on a 
leaf, and he seemed much relieved when 
the Princess took the seat and rowed back. 


9 4 MODERN FAIR YLAND. 

“ Where are the fairies ? ” exclaimed 
the Princess, as she stepped from the boat. 

“ Asleep,” said Puck examining a set- 
tee near by. 

“ What time do they get up ? ” looking 
at her little Swiss watch. 

“ Get up ? ” he rejoined ; “ don’t get up 
at all during the day, of course ! I 
couldn’t sleep is the reason I’M here.” 

“ When do you have time to work ? ” 

“ WORK ! ” he shouted, in derision. 
“ Never a bit of that ! ” 

“ Atrocious ! ” she cried ; “ lazy, good- 
for-nothing creat — ” and here she flounced 
into her carriage. 

Puck jumped in after her, trembling to 
see what her angry Highness would see 
fit to do next. 

“ Tell me where the fairies sleep,” was 
all she demanded of him. 

When the carriage was driven among 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


95 


the anemones where the fairies lay sweetly 
dreaming, no one can picture the Princess’ 
rage as she discovered their dress suits 
and evening gowns hanging on the spears 
of grass and swinging and flapping in the 
breeze. Why ! it really looked like wash- 
day. 

Now, Puck saw her disgust and felt a 
terrible twinge of remorse as he saw his 
own natty black broadcloth hanging with 
the rest of the suits. The Princess was 
so engrossed, however, that she did not 
notice that Puck jumped out of the car- 
riage, grabbed his suit from the line, and 
disappeared into the wild morning-glory 
which he had tenanted that very night. 
When he came back his coat was on back 
part foremost, and as he walked the 
coat-tails dangled in front inconveniently. 
Poor fellow ! he looked hot and uncom- 
fortable. 


96 


MODERN FAIR VLAND. 


The Princess was so preoccupied that 
she did not notice Puck’s transformation, 
but walked from one flower to another 
wishing that she had the courage to poke 
each sleeper out of bed. 

“ Just think, the creases will be out 
of their trousers ! ” she said angrily. 
“ They shall not sleep another wink. In 
the daytime, too ! ” and quick as a flash 
she twirled Puck’s wishing-wand, and an 
alarm clock stood at the base of every 
flower. 

B-r-r-r ! ! ! W-hir-r- ! ! ! went the clocks 
at a deafening rate. 

Immediately every fairy thrust aside a 
petal portiere, rubbed two sleepy eyes, 
yawned, and then seemed quite paralyzed 
with fright. Before the Princess could 
give them a scolding the fairies spread 
their tiny wings and fluttered away, leav- 
ing nothing behind but the evening suits. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


97 


Puck remained, liowever, but lie was so 
overcome by the succession of surprises 
that he had to lean against a weed for a 
moment to recover himself. 

Princess Fernitta pulled out her hand- 
kerchief and began to cry. 

“ O dear! ” with a sob, “ I thought it 
would be so — o easy to reform or mod- 
ernize Fairyland, but — ” here she turned 
pale. “Where are my smelling salts? 
Quick!!!” And she fainted dead away 
in the arms of Sir Puek, who had jumped 
forward just in time to catch her. 



7 


CHAPTER X. 

THE KING AND PRINCESS FERNITTA COME 
TO AN UNDERSTANDING. 

It always took the King and Queen 
longer than anyone else to dress, and 
both disliked being awakened in the day- 
time, but they could not very well help 
hearing the alarm clock go off under their 
flower. At first the King absolutely de- 
clined to get up and see what the matter 
was, and the little Queen was the one to 
peer without. 

When she saw Fernitta lying prostrate 
in the arms of Sir Puck, the royal mother 
hysterically begged the sleepy King to 
get np. 


98 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 99 

“ What’s Up now ? ” growled his 
Majesty, bouncing out of bed in anything 
but a happy manner. 

“It’s Femitta! Hurry!” she cried, 
helping him as much as possible. 

“ Fernitta is it? I’m not surprised 1 
Something moder^t., as usual, I suppose,” 
he grumbled, taking his time. 

“ Oh, hurry up 1” she cried, wringing 
her hands in despair. 

“ The idea of getting me up at this 
time of the day 1 I wish Fernitta hadn’t 
come back 1 Do there ! 

“ Oh 1 ” screamed the Queen, quite 
distracted. 

“ Where’s that wishing-wand ? I’ll just 
send her back.” 

“ What are you thinking of, my love? 
Are you crazy ? ” 

“ No, I’m not. In fact, I was never 
more in my right mind, and I intend to 


lOO 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


make our incorrigible daughter under- 
stand that I am r?^/^rhere ! ” 

The poor little Queen held her breath 
with fear. The two finally reached the 
Princess and Sir Puck, and after several 
acornsful of water had been thrown into 
Fernitta’s face she opened her eyes. 

“ Anything I can do for you, my dear ? ” 
asked her mother. “ Won’t you be car- 
ried to our flower? It will rock you to 
sleep.” 

“ And make me deathly seasick — no, 
thanks ! ” was the answer. 

The Princess sent Mike for some pil- 
lows, and when they were delivered the 
little lady bolstered herself with them 
against a weed. She kept smelling some 
Lavender Salts that the thoughtful Tressa 
had sent along. 

Fernitta, what do you mean by up- 
setting affairs ? Where are my subjects ? 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. j o I 

And, pray, wliat do you mean by waking 
everyone up? ” 

“ I will go away again,” she said, 
taking a very big sniff of the salts ; “I’m 
sure I don’t know where the absurd little 
creatures chased themselves to.” 

“ Femitta ! ” roared the King ; and she 
raised her head in surprise, for a reproof 
from her indulgent father was something 
novel. 

“ I’ve commenced to modernize Fairy- 
land,” she declared. 

“ Wh-a-t ? ” cried the Queen, throwing 
her hands in the air. “ I think it does 
ver}^ well as it is. Don’t you ? ” turning 
to her husband. 

“ Oh, I don’t know anything beside 
such a prodigy of a daughter,” exclaimed 
the King sarcastically. 

How do you like the looks of the 
Capital of Fairyland?” asked Fernitta, 
pointing to the city in the hollow. 


102 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


“ Capital what? ” said the royal couple, 
looking on the pretty settlement in un- 
disguised amazement. 

“Capital WHAT!” said the Prin- 
cess, waving her arms in despair. “ Haven’t 
you studied civil government ? ” 

“ No,” said the King. 

“ And you a ruler of an empire 1 How 
do you manage, pray? ” 

“ Oh, I got along pretty well when you 
were absent, and still think I’m capable 
of doing so,” looking at his worried wife. 

“ What ignorance 1 ” Femitta said in- 
discreetly, bringing matters to a terrible 
crisis, for the King, stung by the sarcasm, 
had raised his wand over Fernitta, and 
the Queen clung to his arm imploring 
him to think of what he was about to do 
when — the Court Philosopher put in an 
appearance. 

He stumbled up to the Princess with a 


MODERN- FAIRYLAND. 


103 


profound bow, and asking berto enlighten 
him on certain things, produced a scroll 
of prodigious size and began to read off 
the exact words and slang phrases the 
Princess had used since her arrival. 
This struck the rest of the party as a 
great joke on the Princess, and they all 
covered their faces for fear of offending 
her with their laughter. The Princess, 
however, saw the fun too, and politely 
gave a definition for everything. 

“ You’re a Court Philosopher, and yon 
haven’t studied the etymology of words ! 
That is bad,” she exclaimed at the finish. 

He looked up in amazement. 

“ Have yon studied rhetoric ? ” 

His mouth dropped open. 

“ Logic, natural philosophy, psychol- 
ogy,” she continued, “ and all the higher 
sciences ? ” 

The little old fellow looked so very 



104 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


blank that the Princess had to dismiss 
him lest she langh right in his face. 

When he retired everyone felt con- 
strained and awkward, for they had noth- 
ing to do but pick np the previous talk 
where it had left off. It was lucky that 
the interruption came as it did, for in 
another moment the King would have 
uttered his terrible wish and Fernitta 
would have become a mortal for all 
time. 

It was the King who broke the silence. 

“ I will abdicate the throne in your 
favor,” said he. 

“ No such thing ! ” Fernitta cried, feel- 
ing for the first time a pang of remorse. 

“ I recognize my unfitness for the posi- 
tion now ” — 

“ Oh, no ! no ! no ! ” interrupted Fer- 
nitta, throwing the pillows right and left, 
and running to her father’s side. “ You 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


105 


shan’t say any such thing. I would not 
have you do such a thing for the world. 
I don’t want to be ruler. Indeed I do not. 
I was thinking of a few reforms — a few 
changes for the better, you know ; ” and 
she planted a big kiss on the cheek of her 
august parent, and gave him a hug that 
fairly took his breath away. 

Fernitta had completely won her father’s 
heart, and all his possessions were hers 
to do with as she willed. 

“ Do anything you want to, my daugh- 
ter,” he said. “ My subjects will obey 
you.” 

“ How can they if I have frightened 
them away ? ” 

For answer the King blew on a tiny 
silver horn, and immediately the air was 
full of fairies. They looked disgusted, 
and probably were so at being waked up 
a second time that morning ; and when 



o6 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


they saw the Princess everyone held back 
and bowed the knee very relnctantly. 

“Yon are to obey my danghter’s call 
henceforth,” the King announced ; and 
when the signal was given the sorry-faced 
band gladly hastened away. 

“You are an old dear,” Femitta cried 
ecstatically, with an affectionate pat on 
the arm. “ It is now dinner time ; don’t 
you hear the town clock striking twelve ? ” 

They all listened attentively to the 
clear tones. 

“ Won’t you come and dine with me ? ” 
she asked the King and Queen, over- 
looking Sir Puck, who had begun to dream 
of more muffins. 

“ Bat ! ” exclaimed the King. “I’m 
going back to bed ! ” 

“Well, some other time then,” laughed 
Fernitta, as she jumped into her carriage. 
“ I will send my trap around for you to 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 107 

night, and Alike will show you the 
city.” 

Here the horses started off with a 
bound, and away went the Princess, wav- 
ing her hand to the staring trio. 

The King and Queen hastily went back 
to resume their nap. As for Puck, he 
stood in the midst of the sofa pillows, 
which no one had thought to put in the 
carriage. 

Poking around he found the Lavender 
Salts and also — oh, joy! — his wishing- 
wand. 

Puck picked up the pillows, arranged 
them under a shady fern, and lying down 
soon fell fast asleep. 


CHAPTER XI. 

THE PRINCESS MAKES NEW RAWS. 

The next morning the first thing the 
Princess did was to make out her “ Rules,” 
or “ Code of Laws.” Instead of deliver- 
ing them herself she entrusted the duty 
to Sir Puck, who promised to read them 
to the fairies at the most convenient time. 
Accordingly he set off to hunt up the 
migrated community. He found the fairies 
in an adjoining glen, feasting as usual, 
and a good deal of pounding on a hollow 
gourd was needed to draw them to order 
before he began to deliver his little “ talk,” 
from a pulpit loaned by a certain Rev. 
Mr. Jack. 

Sir Puck caused quite a sensation as he 

io8 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


109 


mounted the platform, for he was clad in 
his black broadcloth. From the shiny- 
front to the patent leathers he was im- 
maculate. As he took a hem-stitched 
handkerchief out of his coat-tail pocket 
a murmur passed along the rows of 
fairies. He cleared his throat with a 
nervous cough, and then the tiny lecturer 
began : 

“ Fellow fairies ! — ” another cough — 
“ I think you would enjoy being modern. 
You see that I have adopted the idea. 
This ” — pointing to his person — “ is a 
modern suit. It’s pretty convenient, be- 
cause there are a great many of these kind 
of things called pockets ; ” and he turned 
them all inside out for inspection. 

“ These are trousers — this is a cravat— 
this the shirt — this the vest — this the 
coat — this a hat — and, lastly, here is a 
cane ! ” As Puck produced the last 



no 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 



article, his whole audience burst into a 
roar of laughter. 

“For economy’s sake one might sub- 
stitute this wishing- wand for the cane,” 
someone from the back row shouted. 

“ Now, I confess that I am beginning 
to like this outfit,” Puck continued, ignor- 
ing the remark and strutting down the 
stage with an indifferent air. “You gents 
are to wear everyday suits somewhat 
similar to the one I have on. As for the 
ladies, the Princess wishes me to inform 
them that she is soon to give a talk in City 
Hall on Dress Reform. This will be 
expressly for their benefit. Yon are to 
live in curious things called houses, that 
are full of what are called rooms, which 
remind me very much of — pockets, only 
that the rooms are connected by doors. 
There are to be what the Princess 
terms ‘ modern improvements,’ and I 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


Ill 


can tell 3^011 these are all awfully funny 
things. 

“ In \vhat is called the kitchen there is 
a place where yon can get hot and cold 
water at the same time. Then there are 
groups of bubbles in the middle of the 
rooms, which light np when j^on turn a 
comical knob and look as bright as ten 
fireflies in one — I’ve forgotten what they 
are called. 

“ Yon are to sleep during the night, 
and, getting np with the sun, are to work 
during the day. The ladies are to learn 
to sew and cook, and I can tell 3^011 ” — 
here he assumed a confidential attitude — 
“ the sooner they learn to make what the 
Princess calls mnfiins the better.” And 
he smacked his lips, unconscious of the 
groans and yawns on the part of the ladies. 

Puck then held up his fingers and began 
to recite : 


II2 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


“ Monday, wash ; Tuesday, iron ; Wed- 
nesday, mend ; Thursday, make calls ; 
Friday, sweep ; Saturday, cook ; and 
Sunday, rest ! ” 

^ “ And not one day for fun ? ” one lady 
said. 

“ Let’s have every day Sunday,” they 
all shouted. 

“ I have one objection to the order of 
exercises,” said one independent lady, 
“ and that is, if everybody calls on Thurs- 
day, everybody will be out.” 

“ Well, you’ll have to settle such ques- 
tions yourselves,” said the lecturer, un- 
easily. 

“ What do the gentlemen have to do ? ” 
one sprightly miss inquired. 

In reply Puck explained what a “ trade ” 
consisted of, to the evident disgust of the 
masculine portion of his audience. “ I 
am going to study law in order to assist 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


”3 


in managing city affairs. Henceforth I 
shall be Lawyer Puck, Esq. You will 
have your choice of trades. And now I 
guess I have told everything as instructed. 
Good luck to you all ! ” With which 
Lawyer Puck bows down and out of the 
pulpit. 

As soon as he stood in the midst of the 
fairies, so many questions were asked 
him that the poor little fellow went nearly 
distracted, and almost forgot to distribute 
the invitations to the reception 'to be given 
that evening by the Princess in City 
Hall. Each recipient fingered and ex- 
amined the envelope with a face full of 
curiosity mingled with a sort of fear. 
The invitations were compared 


and after a great deal of whisper 
ing the band skipped to their re 
spective flowers to get ready, h 
hack was found to await each 



8 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


114 



beflowered fairy as she stepped from her 
dainty house. 

What surprise the fairies expressed as 
they rode under the electric lights over 
the smooth streets and straight to the long 
flight of marble steps ! There they alight- 
ed and were conducted to a dressing room. 

To the fairies it was a new Fairyland. 
How confused they were at the room full 
of potted plants, draperies, and festoons ! 
How perplexed at the incandescent lights, 
and most of all at the orchestra of twelve 
pieces ! 

How entranced they became with the 
music, and how quickly they learned to 
keep step with it ! 

What a time they had testing the dain- 
ties served for refreshments ! How they 
minced away at the bread sandwiches, 
olives, and candy wafers, and sipped at 
the coffee and sherbet ! 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 1 1 5 

When they bade the Princess good- 
night they truthfully said they had en- 
joyed themselves very much. 

The hacks awaited them, but instead 
of taking each fairy back to her flower, 
everyone was carried to some little house 
in the city. 

After the many surprises, the fairies 
slept as soundly in their tiny spring beds 
as in the daintiest of flowers. 


CHAPTER XII. 


THE princess’ duties and 

DIFFICULTIES. 



After the reception Princess Fernit- 
ta’s days were very much occupied. 

She started A. B. C. classes, and found 
teaching “ Here is a dog. Can a dog 
run ? ” a very dubious task. 

She started a Singing School, and soon 
after formed a Choral Union. In music 
the fairies made the most progress, pro- 
bably because they derived most enjoy- 
ment from it. The imps sang tenor, the 
brownies bass, the fairies soprano, and the 
elves alto. But in spite of the Princess’ 
endeavors to cultivate a taste for classical 
productions the fairies still preferred their 
roundels to oratorio. 

ii6 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


I17 


Every Sunday the Princess delivered a 
sermon, besides playing the organ and 
taking the position of Sunday-School 
Superintendent. Sunday evenings she 
gave “ talks ” on the topics of the day. 

Weekdays saw her instructing the men 
in business. She rode out to the suburbs, 
and gave the fairy farmers ideas on the 
crops, helped them to fill barrels with the 
red apples that were no larger than our 
apple-seeds, and assisted them in gather- 
ing the vegetables, not one of which was 
as big as an orange seed. 

She even went to see the gnomes and 
made them sign a treaty with her father, 
giving them in return some valuable 
suggestions for mining. 

She instructed the butcher, the baker, 
the grocer, the merchant, and the tailor. 

She organized classes to teach the 
ladies how to keep house ; and her worst 



ii8 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 




trial began when slie distributed tbe cook- 
books. The castle was filled from morn- 
ing till night with fairies nursing their 
burnt fingers, and husbands sick with dys- 
pepsia caused by testing the results of 
their wives’ experiments. Why, the castle 
was a regular hospital. 

The fairies’ memories were found so 
defective that it was thought best to have 
a bulletin board upon which was printed 
the programme for the day. It was 
always surrounded. 

It was also necessary to have alarm 
clocks in every house, and as the fairies 
could not remember to wind them, the 
electric-light man was hired to wind them 
on his daily round through the city. 

One thing that Fernitta detested above 
all others was the silly fashion of naming 
every one of the fairies after some flower. 
Not a Jane or a Mary could be found 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


119 

amongst them ; no such thing as a family 
name. As a result the Princess gave 
each subject a sensible name, with Brown, 
Smith, or Jones attached ; and for fear 
these names would skip their memor}^ she 
had them embroidered on the dress or 
coat. In spite of this precaution, how- 
ever, the old custom remained, and it 
was still Rosebud, Sweet-fern, Briar, and 
Silver-leaf. 

Some serious trouble was also ex- 
perienced through the wishing-wands. 
For instance, if a fairy objected to one of 
the Princess’ plans (such as having an 
alarm clock in every house), up went the 
wand, and, presto ! the objection was 
removed. Weary little reformer ! Poor 
little Princess ! Her life was anything 
but an idle one. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

THE PRINCESS GETS LOST. 

Eespite her modern views Fernitta 
had the desire to steal a ride upon the 
back of a grasshopper, as she had seen 
the daring little Puck do many times. 
He was now so busy studying law that 
he did not have time for such frolics, 
much less to offer to take the Princess 
with him. She once hinted very strongly, 
but he laughingly said : 

“ I fear. Miss Fernitta, you haven’t the 
courage to take a trip by yourself.” 

This so piqued the little lady that she 
secretly vowed to prove it to the contrary. 

She had a chance. 

One morning, after dismissing her 
120 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


I2I 


patchwork class, she left the castle and 
started off down the street at a brisk rate. 
As she passed the Queen Anne cottage, 
which, by the way, had been offered for 
the services of the fairy k. A. W., Sir 
Puck rode up to the Club House on his 
safety, dismounted, and then tipped his 
cap deferentially. Just at that very mo- 
ment as handsome and stout a grass- 
hopper as one would wish to see came 
jumping along. 

“ Now is the time to show your pluck ! ” 
Sir Puck cried out. 

On the spur of the moment Femitta 
sprang upon the insect’s back, startling 
the poor thing so that he gave one tremen- 
dously high spring, carrying his tiny 
passenger out of the sight of Fairyland. 

“ Oh ! ” shrieked the Princess, clinging 
on for dear life. “ I do hope this bug 
won’t take it into his head to do that again. 


22 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


I don’t like this a bit, and if it wasn’t for 
that ridiculous Puck I wouldn’t be here.” 

Her Pegasus was not at all solicitous 
of his rider’s comfort, and continued his 
lively gallop. He joined a group of friends 
farther on and entered into their frolics 
with a vigor that made Fernitta cry for 
mercy. Still, although she was far from 
comfortable she found it novel and excit- 
ing. 

All at once a noise was heard, the grass 
was crushed to the ground, and a yellow 
bill appeared, and, lo ! with a snap Fer- 
nitta’ s steed disappeared, threatening to 
carry her along ; but she objected to being 
treated as a tidbit and tumbled off in a 
hurry. 

Happily for her the Princess fell on a 
plot of Running- Jenny. Finding no bones 
broken and that all she missed was a little 
breath, she looked around for some other 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 123 

grasshopper to take her back. But every 
one had disappeared. 

“How am I to get home?” she ex- 
claimed. 

There she was alone and lost — quite 
lost ; what could she do ? Running 
among the tall grasses was as much of a 
maze as a cornfield, besides being very 
tiresome. This way and that way she ran. 
In vain did she hunt for a trail. She 
became hot, tired, bedraggled, and dis- 
gusted. 

As night came on she began to feel very 
mnch afraid. 

Poor little Princess ! she was terrified 
at the idea of being unprotected. Besides 
the intense darkness, a mist came up, 
gradually changing into a drizzly rain, 
completely drenching her through and 
through. The water dripped from the 
brim of her hat and trickled down her 


124 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


cheeks, and her incessant mumblings were 
wishes for her mackintosh. 

“ If I had a wishing-wand I might get 
out of even this pickle. I can’t carry one 
in my pocket, as I haven’t one.” 

Presently she passed a belated ant hur- 
rying home with its supper. 

“ Good Ant, please give me shelter for 
the night. I am the Princess Fernitta.” 

But as soon as the ant heard the name 
she hurried on saying, “ I am a friend of 
the fairies and will not harbor one who 
ruthlessly breaks up their pretty frolics.” 

To the Princess this was a new version, 
and it troubled her. 

A humming-bird next crossed the path, 
and Fernitta beseeched of her a night’s 
lodging in her nest. 

“ I am a friend to the ‘ little people,’ ” 
the bird sang in a minor key. “ I know 
who you are — the fairies’ taskmistress. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


125 


My nest is surely not soft enough for one 
who spurns scented flower-petals. Use 
your wings and fly home.” 

“ Alas! they are clipped,” Fernitta cried 
in distress. 

The bird flew away. In her despair the 
Princess accosted a bunch of Wild Colum- 
bines. 

“ Please, pretty flowers, won’t one of you 
let me rest in your cup and eat of your 
hone}^, for I am hiingry and weary ? ” 

“ We are friends of the fairies. Our 
petals are not as soft as you desire. Hie 
to your modem bed.” 

“ But will you not give me some 
honey?” asked the little beggar; “I 
often eat it on my bread for lunch.” 

But they turned their faces away, and 
Fernitta had nothing to do but pass on. 

“ Why should the fairies dislike me ? ” 
she asked herself sorrowfully. “ They 


26 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 



do not understand my intentions. What 
awful gossips they must he to spread my 
name around so quickly ! I shall have 
to curl up by some stone, ’tis plain.” 

Just then she spied a modest violet, nun- 
like in a cloister of moss. This flower 
looked so sweet and loving that Fernitta 
Anally gathered courage to knock for ad- 
mittance. 

“ Dear Violet, take pity on a lost and 
frightened fairy — a misunderstood fairy 
— Fernitta ! ” 

Almost before this was said the flower 
drew the tiny creature into her soft folds 
to soothe her to sleep. 

When the flower opened to the morn- 
ing sun Fernitta awoke, bathed her hot 
face in the mist, and after thanking the 
flower started for Fairyland, a wiser and 
more thoughtful fairy. She had learned 
a lesson — this impulsive reformer. 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 


127 


After much hunting she came upon her 
tiny city, and, boarding an electric car, 
soon entered the castle. She explained 
the cause of her absence and then has- 
tened to her room to sit down at her secre- 
tar}" and write a note to the colony of 
flowers. This she sent by the artful 
arbitrator Puck. 



“ Dear Flowers : 

“ No doubt you miss the fairies as 
tenants, but when making my Modern 
Fairyland^ I did not plan to rob you of 
them. Above all, I do not want to spoil 
their enjoyments, and I now see where I 
was too severe with them. 

“ ]\Iy subjects shall be taught never to 
forget your kindnesses. Modern houses 
do not spring up everywhere like your- 
selves, and your petal-coverlids are a 
luxury not known in Queen Anne cot- 
tages. 


128 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 



“ I pray you, if it be your lot, to shade 
our pretty city, but if not, ever act to- 
wards lost fairies after the manner of the 
violet. 

“ Accept my apologies and extend them 
to the insects and birds. 

“ Sincerely, 

“ Princkss Fernitta.” 

To the Violet she wrote : 

“ Dear little Protectress : 

“ Some one has said the Rose is Queen, 
but this is a mistake, I ween, for royal 
purple do you wear, and heart-shaped 
IS the leaf you bear. None is more the 
queen than thou. Such I proclaim you 
here and now. Wee missionary, to you I 
came. ‘ Heart’s-ease ’ truly is your name. 

“ Princess Fernitta.” 

When the other flowers awoke and saw 
the violet clad in double robes of purple 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


129 


(a deed of Puck’s), they said in wonder, 
“ Who has caused this ? ” 

“ It came through Princess Fernitta,” 
answered Heart’s-ease not at all boast- 
fully. Then the flowers wished they 
had not been so inhospitable to the poor 
little Princess. 

9 


CHAPTER XIV. 


AN OLD-FASHIONED BALL. 

As time went on the fairies began to 
see that the Princess enjoyed a good time 
and a frolic as well as they. With a 
dogged pertinacity^ seldom excelled by 
mortal these fairies clung to their old 
customs, many times not changing when 
it would have been for their own good. 

Through a very slow process of evolu- 
tion these little people became used to the 
new life, and in some ways liked it. They 
soon saw how much more they enjoyed 
pleasure after a bit of work. Embroidery 
became a passion with the tiny house- 
wives, and they vied with one another on 

the weekly mending and darning. 

130 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


^31 

It was at a “ lunclieon ” given by one 
Mrs. Trefoil that some one proposed giv- 
ing a ball. 

“ Why not have it to-night ? ” some one 
else added. 

“ Not to-7iigJit !'''' said a few, in horror 
at the shortness of the time given to them 
to prepare for the affair. 

“ I haven’t any gown fit to wear,” 
one piped up. 

“ ^line’s all out of style — especially 
the sleeves,” said one with a crochet work- 
bag. 

“ Why not have an old-fashioned ball ? ” 
asked Mrs. Brown, 7iee Fairy Clover. 

“ And look as much out of style as 
possible ? I guess not ! ” exclaimed a 
group of stylish girls, who did not catch 
her meaning. 

“ But I mean to dress up in our old 
fairy outfits,” corrected Mrs. Brown. 


132 MODERN FAIR YLAND. 

“ All ! that is very different, ” the ladies 
exclaimed, applauding the suggestion with 
a furious clapping of hands, the heartiest 
of all in approval being the Princess. 

The guests chattered away until four 
o’clock and then ran home to prepare sup- 
per for the hard-working husbands, and 
to gossip with their neighbors about the 
coming dance. 

The telephones kept up a continual 
buzz throughout the city. 

The baby fairies were all undressed and 
tucked in their cribs, and then the mamma 
fairies unpacked all their old fineries, 
let down their long braids of hair, flew to 
the castle for a wand, and then to the spot 
chosen for the ball — a place where human 
foot had never trod. 

There, uninterrupted, the insects sang 
at the tops of their voices ; there the birds 
lived in harmony, without danger ; and 


MODERN FAIR YLAND. 1 33 

there it was that the daint}- little visions 
of fairies conld dance without fear of 
being molested. They flitted around in 
their fluff}" dresses, dancing in circles of 
twos and threes, and singing the old-time 
roundelay as they twirled on the tips of 
their toes. 

“ Tra la la la, tra la lee ! 

Happy little fairies we, 

Dancing on the mossy green, 

Not by spying mortal seen. 

Happy, blithesome fairies we ! 

Tra la la la, tra la lee ! ” 

The royal family came to the ball in 
the same old walnut car that had ser\"ed 
them so well in the time of “ ye olden ” 
Fairyland. The same fairies, who had 
been attendant pages in times gone by, 
fell naturally enough in their old position 
by the car. 

A more entrancing picture cannot be 
imagined. 




134 MODEJ^JV FAIRYLAND. 

Amidst all this array sat the Princess. 
She was dazzlingly beautiful ; no dress 
could compare with hers. No one had 
such long golden hair, hanging like a 
silken cloak to the bottom of the fluffy 
skirts. 

When she stepped from the car she 
waved her wand as if she had done so all 
her life, she trilled the merry songs, and 
tripped around in the circles of dancing 
fairies, balanced on spears of grass ; then 
she flew as best she could with her clipped 
wings, and took refreshments just as if 
she liked them, eating off of leaves, and 
drinking out of nutshells. 

She was resting on a checkerberry, fan- 
ning herself, when Lawyer Puck, in his old 
close-fitting suit of green, came up to her. 

“ This is ’most as beneficial as gym- 
nastics, n^est ce pas ? ” puffed he, with a 
twinkle in his mischievous eye. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 135 

The Princess made room for him beside 
her, and, accepting her offer, he said : 

“Now, own up,” with a sly glance; 
“ isn’t this berry just as good as a ‘ con- 
versation ’ chair ? ” 

No reply. 

“ My dear Fernitta, now don’t yon 
really like this ‘ old-fashioned ’ way of 
doing things the best ? See how free every- 
one is ; then, too, after their night’s fun 
there’ll be no housework to think of, and 
the only thing to do will be to tumble into a 
desirable flower for the night, and — and you 
won’t have a bed to make in the morning.” 

“ Lazy fellow ! Horrid Puck,” said 
she, with a laugh, “ 'vras ever anyone equal 
to you ? You surely have tact enough 
for a King; you ought to be a ruler; 
some one ought to adopt you. Prince 
Puck ! How would that sound ? ” 

“ That’s just what I aspire to be,” said the 


136 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


sly little fellow, for he was head over heels 
in love with the Princess, and had been 
ever since she thrust her parasol at him. 

“ Why don’t you hunt up a Princess to 
suit your taste and settle the matter ? ” 
said she. 

“ I have, and have found her,” with a 
despondent look. 

“ Who may she be ? ” with sudden in- 
terest. 

“ Well,” deliberately crossing his legs, 
“ she is a most incorrigible creature — 
beautiful, of course ! Leave Puck to 
judge of such ! But she is very indiffer- 
ent ! And — there is a more s-e-rious 
trouble, for, you see, I’m bound ; I — ” 

“ Faint of heart perhaps ? ” she inter- 
posed. 

“ NBVBR ! But, you see, a lady of 
rank in Fair3dand is supposed to choose 
her consort. Therefore I have no liberty 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 




to present my — I haven’t a ghost of a 
chance,” looking very dejected indeed. 

“ According to the modem way — the 
way mortals do — you are at least free to 
propose,” said the Princess. 



In a flash Lawyer Puck was bowed be- 


fore her, with his hands across his breast. 

“ According to the modem privilege, 
will yon be my wife ? ” 

“ What if I should uphold the old 
custom of choosing my own husband, and 
refuse you ? ” 

The poor little lawyer looked non- 
plussed. 

“ Which do you like best, now, the old 
or the new ? ” she added mockingly. 

The new forever! ” he declared, jump- 
ing to his feet, for Fernitta agreed with 
his decision and uttered the three-lettered 
word, and sealed her vow in the usual way. 

After this they sat nearer together than 


138 MODERN FAIRYLAND. 

before and whispered something very, 
very low, bnt shortly, with faces wreathed 
in smiles, they returned to the gronp of 
dancers. 

Before the time for departnre P'ernitta 
mounted a toadstool. Bringing the fairies 
to order, she addressed them thus ; 

“ My dear subjects, one and all ! 

“You and I have now lived for some 
time under the modern form of govern- 
ment. That the Capital of Fairyland has 
proved a success everyone will say.” 

A pause. 

“ To-night,” she went on, “ sees yon as 
yon used to live — free and without care.” 
Turning to her astonished parents she 
said: “I lay down my sceptre thus, and 
bid you free to go back to the old life. 
You may choose without fear.” 

A murmur of excitement was heard. 
She went on : 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


^39 


“ The other day some one made the 
remark that it was high time for the Prin- 
cess to marry. Another one said it was 
better for the Princess to remain single, 
as nothing short of a condensed mortal 
would suit her fastidions Highness. 

“ I have chosen my consort, and,” with 
a smile, “ I trust you will give your hearty 
approval.” 

Everyone’s breath was held in suspense, 
and when Lawyer Puck stepped to the 
side of the Princess the whole assembly 
acknowledged their joy by giving one big 
cheer. 

The fairies joined hands and circling 
around the toadstool sang : 

“ Chaplets of laurel for Fernitta, our own 
Princess, the sweetest that ever was known ! 
Princess Fernitta, this forever’s our lay : 

We’ll be modern fairies forever and aye ! ” 

The King and Queen were too over- 



140 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


come at the turn of affairs, and simply 
embraced their daughter, while the fairies 
buffeted Lawyer Puck with buds and moss 
in the way of congratulation. 

As the royal company with the Prince- 
elect drove away in the walnut car this 
was what echoed after them : 

“ To-night we are old fairies free, 

To-morrow full of care we’ll be ; 

To-night we’ll sleep in flowers sweet, 
To-morrow night in houses neat; 

Oh, modern little fairies we. 

Forevermore thus we shall be.” 

As soon as the Princess’ trousseau was 
completed the wedding was solemnized. 
The ceremony was held in Titania Chapel, 
and directly after it the bridal couple were 
driven to the castle, where they held a re- 
ception. 

A bridal tour was taken, but the per- 
verse pairnever would tell where they trav- 
elled, much to the disgust of curious ones. 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


141 


Unbelieving mortals may sneer at the 
truth of these statements, but so occupied 
has Prince Puck been with government 
affairs that he has not found time to send 
his cards to mortals. 

For further information concerning the 
nuptials send for a copy of the Fairyland 
Evening Herald. 




Look out sharply, dearie, under waving meadow 
grasses. 

Under flowers, under toadstools, where the sunlight 
flashes. 


142 


MODERN FAIRYLAND. 


Look out, dearie, when you find a tiny hump of 
ashes, 

Know you that little fairy gypsies have just passed 
that way. 

You ask, where are the fairies.? why not see them 
nowadays .? 

’Tis plain : because they are so busy in their many 
ways. 

“ Foreign missionary work ” — they think that hardly 
pays. 

Don’t you wish they still came.? “Yes,” I’m sure 
you say. 

Busy fairies ! No lazy ones in Modern Fairyland ; 

If there be, they are doomed to exile on some 
foreign strand. 

Ostracized, expelled forever from the fairy band. 

Disgraced, disowned, forever, — forever and a day ! 

Look out ! look out sharply, dearie ! 

Catch some stray vagabond ! 

Grab him firmly, hold him tightly, 

And nab his wishing wand ! 



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